US20090075512A1 - Socket connector having retaining tabs arranged on edges of sidewalls thereon - Google Patents

Abstract

A socket connector is provided for securely mounting an IC package (20) on a printed circuit board, said socket connector comprises an insulatve housing (30) configured by a base (301) and four perimeter walls (302) to define a inner cavity adapted for receiving said IC package (20). Said four perimeter walls (302) include a first sidewall (3021) with a push finger (3025), a second sidewall (3022), a third sidewall (3023) and a fourth sidewall (3024). Said second sidewall (3022) and said fourth sidewall (3024) further include a plurality of retaining tab (3027) adapted for biasing guiding notches (2011) of said IC package (20) relative to said retaining tab (3027) by a elastic force generated from a push finger (3025) after said IC package (20) is fully mounted in said insulative housing (30) of said socket connector.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention
• The present invention generally relates to an socket connector, and more particularly to an socket connector with retaining tabs formed on edge of sidewall such that an IC package received within said socket connector can be retained by said retaining tabs after said IC package is laterally displaced by a pushing finger formed on said other wall perpendicular to said sidewall with retaining tabs when said IC packaged is installed thereon.
• 2. Description of Related Art
• As the development of electronic technology, the speed of computers are becoming faster and faster for complying with the public's request on data transfer between internet and vividly graphic process. To satisfy a trend of high-speed operation of computers, a central processing unit (CPU), the most important part of a computer, must have more and more contact plugs via a corresponding socket connector for establishing an electrical connection between said CPU and a corresponding circuit board. Said electrical connector has an advantage is that unlike integrated circuit chips that are soldered directly on circuit boards, an integrated circuit plug that is mounted in said socket connector can be easily disconnected from a circuit board for testing and replacement.
• As the number of contact plugs of an IC package and passageways in which contact terminals of a socket connector contains increases, there is a instant need to facilitate precise alignment both between said socket connector and said circuit board, and between said IC package and said socket connector due to the relatively dense layout and small size of electrical contacts on said IC package.
• Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,316 issues (issued) to Ma on Jun. 21, 2005 disclosed (discloses) a conventionalLGA socket connector1 shown inFIG. 1 includes anstiffener2, ametal clip3 pivotally engaged on saidstiffener2, alever4 for fastening saidclip3 onto saidstiffener2, and aninsulative housing20 embedded in saidstiffener2. Abase232 andperimeter walls23 extending upward fromsaid base232 define an interior cavity adapted for matting anIC package5 with saidsocket connector1. More importantly, an inner side of one of saidperimeter walls23 defines a pair of guidingblocks2310 protruding towards said cavity, wherein said two guidingblocks2310 are coplanar with each other. Inner sides of theother perimeter walls23 define a guidingblock2312 thereof respectively. Therefore, a first benchmark is obtained by a line joining said pair of guidingblocks2310 on inner side of saidperimeter walls23, and a second benchmark is determined by a line passing said guidingblock2312 on said adjacent andperpendicular wall23, perpendicular to said first benchmark. U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,980 issued to Goodwin Dec. 26, 2000 discloses another socket connector with push fingers asFIG.2 is provided to enhance alignment among said IC package, said socket connector and said circuit board. Aninsulative housing10 of said socket connector inFIG.2 includes abase101 and a plurality ofperimeter walls102 extending upwardly from saidbase101 to co-define a receiving cavity for receiving said IC packaged. Furthermore,push fingers103 are configured on edges ofsaid perimeter walls102 to which are adjacent each other. Moreover, there are two guidingposts104 disposed on edges of theother perimeter walls102 separately facing to saidperimeter walls102 with saidpush fingers103. Although saidpush fingers103 and said guidingposts104 are effectively aligned said IC package, said socket connector and said printed circuit board one another, it is not sufficient to ensure that said IC package be securely mounted in said socket connector. The main cause is that unbalance forces between said IC package and said perimeter walls make said IC package easily slide out of said socket connector from said inclined guiding surface of said guidingposts104. Therefore, there is a need to offer an improved socket connector to ensure an IC packaged is securely mounted in said socket connector.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• An object of the present invention is to provide a socket connector that effectively avoids a risk of an IC package sliding out of said socket connector.
• A socket connector of the present invention comprises an insulative base, a plurality of opposing perimeter walls extending upwardly from said base, said base interconnecting and extending substantially an entire distance between each of said opposing perimeter walls and providing a substantially continuous contact receiving surface between said perimeter walls, said perimeter walls defining a cavity therebetween and above said base adapted for receiving an IC package. At least two opposite perimeter walls each provided with at least a retaining tab on an edge of said opposite perimeter walls and extending into said cavity, and defining a gap between a lower surface of said retaining tab and said contact receiving surface. A push finger provides on at least one of the rest of said opposite perimeter walls, which is perpendicular to said opposite walls having said retaining tabs, and has a biasing point extending into said cavity.
• The present invention includes a method of assembling an IC package in a socket connector comprising following steps: (a) providing a base with perimeter walls extending upward therefrom to defining a cavity, said cavity further comprising a contact receiving surface thereon; (b) providing a pair of retaining tabs formed on opposite perimeter walls, each retaining tab defining a gap between a lower surface of said retaining tab and said contact receiving surface; (c) providing at least a biasing tab formed on a opposite perimeter wall adjacent to said opposite perimeter walls; (d) providing an IC package having least a pair of notches corresponding to said retaining tabs; (e) aligning said notches with said retaining tabs on an edge of opposite perimeter walls; (f) pressing said IC package downward and pushing said biasing tab outward for electrically connecting said IC package with said socket connector; and (g) releasing said IC package such that an elastic force come from said biasing tabs push said IC package inward for forming a biasing between said retaining tabs and said guiding notches.
• Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which:
• FIG. 1 illustrated an isometric view of a conventional socket connector and a corresponding IC package;
• FIG. 2 illustrates an isometric view of an insulative housing of a conventional socket connector;
• FIG. 3 illustrates an isometric view both of an IC package and a socket connector before said IC package is mounted in said socket connector in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
• FIG. 4 illustrates an isometric view of a combination of an IC packaged and a socket connector after said IC package is mounted in said socket connector in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• While the invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and herein will be described in detail, a specific embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated and described herein.
• Referring toFIG.3, a socket connector of the present invention comprise aninsulative housing30 having abase301 and a plurality ofopposing perimeter walls302 extending upwardly fromsaid base301, saidbase301 interconnecting and extending substantially an entire distance between each of saidopposing perimeter walls302 and providing a substantially continuouscontact receiving surface3011 on an upward surface ofsaid base301 between said perimeter walls, said perimeter walls defining a cavity therebetween and above said base adapted for receiving an IC package, such as a central processing unit (CPU). It should be appreciated that saidcontact receiving surface3011 comprising a plurality of passageways in specific area in which a plurality of contact terminals are constrained adapted for electrically connecting saidIC package20 with said socket connector, and a downward surface of saidbase301 is asolder surface3012 adapted for soldering said socket connector with a circuit board. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, said opposing perimeter walls have afirst sidewall3021, asecond sidewall3022, athird sidewall3023 and afourth sidewall3024. Saidfirst sidewall3021 comprise apush finger3025 with an inclined guiding surface at a free end thereof disposed on the edge of said first sidewalls adapted for easily mounting saidIC package20 in said socket connector. In addition, tworetaining tabs3027 are respectively disposed on the edge of saidsecond sidewall3022 and saidfourth sidewall3024 adjacent to and perpendicular to saidfirst sidewall3021. It should be recognized that said retainingtabs3027 could be any shape, such as bump, columnar, strip, lump, spheral, trapezoid, prism and block. As a result, saidIC package20 may have corresponding guidingnotches2011, which shape are fitted in with the shape of said retainingtabs3027, oncorresponding sides201 of saidIC package20 such that said guidingnotches2011 may smoothly pass through said retainingtabs3027 for mounting saidIC package20 in saidcontact receiving surface3011. In addition, both of saidsecond sidewall3022 and saidfourth sidewall3024 further comprise acorresponding aslope surfaces3026 adapted for conveniently removingIC package20 from said socket connector by a user. It should be noted that a angle between said aslope surface and a surface parallel to said solder surface is within in the range from 0˜180 degree. Moreover, saidbase301 further comprisesbase recesses3028 adapted for taking said shapedinsulative housing30 out of a molding die during manufacture of saidinsulative housing30.
• Referring toFIG.3 andFIG.4, it should be appreciated that saidopposing perimeter walls3022 and3024 with said retainingtabs3027 defines a gap between a lower surface of said retainingtab3027 and saidcontact receiving surface3011. Accordingly, while a user may align said guidingnotches2011 with theretaining tabs3027 first, then presses theIC package20 downward to saidcontact receiving surface3011 guiding by theretaining tabs3027 for electrically connecting saidIC package20 with said socket connector, an elastic force come from said inclined guiding surface of saidpush finger3025 push saidIC package20 laterally displaced so as to form a biasing between said retainingtabs3027 and said guidingnotches2011 thereafter. Consequently, saidIC package20 can be securely mounted in saidinsulative housing30 of said socket connector and effectively avoid a risk of sliding saidIC package20 out of saidinsulative housing30 during a period of either move or assembly of a computer system.
• Although the present invention has been illustrated and described with respect to exemplary embodiment thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the various changes, omissions and additions may be made therein and thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims (20)

1. A socket connector, comprising:

a insulative base;

opposing perimeter walls extending upwardly from said base, said base interconnecting and extending substantially an entire distance between each of said opposing perimeter walls and providing a substantially continuous contact receiving surface between said perimeter walls, said perimeter walls defining a cavity therebetween and above said base,

at least two opposite perimeter walls each provided with at least a retaining tab on an edge of said opposite perimeter walls and extending into said cavity, and defining a gap between a lower surface of said retaining tab and said contact receiving surface; and

a biasing tab provided on at least one of the rest of said opposite perimeter walls which is perpendicular to said opposite walls having said retaining tabs, and having a biasing point extending into said cavity.

2. A socket connector as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said retaining tab can be any shape.

3. A socket connector as claimed inclaim 1, wherein sides of said IC package corresponding to said opposing perimeter walls with said retaining tab each provides at least a guiding recess having the same shape as the one of said retaining tab.

4. A socket connector as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said contact receiving surface of said base further comprises a plurality of passageways in which a plurality of contact terminals is constrained adapted for electrically connecting with an IC package.

5. A socket connector as claimed inclaim 1, wherein a downward surface opposite to said contact receiving surface is a welding surface adapted for soldering said socket connector with a circuit board.

6. A socket connector as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said biasing point is at a free end of said biasing tab adapted for easily sliding said IC package into said socket connector.

7. A socket connector as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said two opposite perimeter walls further comprise corresponding aslope surfaces adapted for easily removing said IC package from said socket connector by a user.

8. A socket connector as claimed inclaim 7, wherein the angle between said aslope surface and a surface parallel to said solder surface is within in the range from 0˜180 degree.

9. A method for assembling an IC package in a socket connector comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a base with perimeter walls extending upward therefrom to defining a cavity, said cavity further comprising a contact receiving surface thereon;

(b) providing a pair of retaining tabs formed on opposite perimeter walls, each retaining tab defining a gap between a lower surface of said retaining tab and said contact receiving surface;

(c) providing at least a biasing tab formed on a opposite perimeter wall adjacent to said opposite perimeter walls;

(d) providing an IC package having least a pair of notches corresponding to said retaining tabs;

(e) aligning said notches with said retaining tabs on an edge of opposite perimeter walls;

(f) pressing said IC package downward and pushing said biasing tab outward for electrically connecting said IC package with said socket connector; and

(g) releasing said IC package such that an elastic force come from said biasing tabs push said IC package inward for forming a biasing between said retaining tabs and said guiding notches.

10. The method as claimed inclaim 9, wherein said retaining tab can be any shape.

11. The method as claimed inclaim 10, wherein said notches having the same shape as the one of said retaining tab for passing the IC package through said retaining tab and being mounted in said socket connector.

12. The method as claimed inclaim 10, wherein the shape of said retaining tap is selected from the group comprising bump, semi-columnar, strip, lump, semi-spherical, trapezoid, prism and block.

13. The method as claimed inclaim 9, wherein said base and said perimeter walls is made of insulative material.

14. The method as claimed inclaim 9, wherein said biasing tab further comprising a biasing point at a free end thereof extending into said cavity.

15. An electrical connector assembly for use with an electronic package having a notch in a side edge thereof, comprising:

an insulative housing including a bottom base with a plurality of side walls commonly defining an upward facing receiving cavity therein;

a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing with contacting sections upwardly extending into the receiving cavity;

at least one retaining tab disposed on at least one of said side walls, spaced from the bottom base and downwardly facing the receiving cavity under a condition that a size of the retaining tab is compliant with said notch; and

at least one push finger located around another of said side walls whereby the electronic package is allowed to initially be downwardly loaded into the receiving cavity under a situation of the notch being aligned with the retaining tab and passing therethrough, and successively horizontally moved due to a force generated by said push finger so as to have the notch and the retaining tab offset from each other accordingly and have the retaining tab downwardly press a top position of a side edge region of the electronic package beside said notch.

16. The electrical connector as claimed inclaim 15, wherein said one side wall is neighbored to said another side wall.

17. The electrical connector as claimed inclaim 15, wherein at least one of said retaining tab and said push finger is unitarily formed with the housing.

18. The electrical connector as claimed inclaim 15, wherein said bottom base defines a through hole beside said one side wall and in alignment with said retaining tab for ejection molding consideration to form said housing.

19. The electrical connector as claimed inclaim 15, wherein the push finger abuts against a side face of the electronic package while the retaining tab abuts against a top face of the electronic package.

20. The electrical connector as claimed inclaim 15, wherein said notch is offset from the retaining tab in a direction along which said push finger exerts a force.

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